Latch



Oct. 23, 1928.

LATCH Filed April 9, 1928 oenTor Patented on. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,688,527 PATENT OFFICE.

BASI'L n. CBAMPTON, or GRAND/RAPIDS, momenta" LATCH.

Application filed April 9,

This invention relates toa latch for use in conjunction with swinging doors, partlcularly refrigerator doors. The latch mounted V on the door is of the swinging lever type to freely swing in an arc of substantially ninety degrees and in a plane parallel to the face of the door, stops being used to limit the swinging movement of the lever n either direction. It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a novel construction of latch which when the door has seen swung to open position may have the latch lever located either Vertical or horizontal and,v irrespective ofwhat position the Serial No. 186,250, filed April 25, 1927.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which, i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the latch and keeper, the door being partly open.

Fig. 2 isa front elevation showing the latch in its released position, fragmentary portions of the door and door casing only being shown.

8 is a frontZ'elevation showing a frag mentary portion of a door and door casing with the latch and keeper mounted thereon and with the latch in closed position;

Fig. 4- is a fragmentary horizontal section and u: ler planview, the plane of the section being substantially on the line of Fig. 3.

5 is a horizontal section through the latch and keeper substantially on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar'to V Fig. 5, illustratinga slightly dilferentform of construction of the latch. 7

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The latch is connected to a door 1 near its free vertical edge, while the keeper used with the latch is securedto the door casing 2 near one edge of the door opening. Thelatch has a base 3 connected to the door by means of screws, integral with which is an outwardly extending post {1 having an integral overhanging horizontal arm at its upper end ex- 1928. Serial no. 268,762.

tending to one side thereof substantially parallel to the base 3. The opposite edges of the post provide stops 6 to limit the swinging movement ofthe latch lever mounted between SEUCl'lJZLSQ and arm 5."

The'latch lever-7 is a bar of metal located at a'point between its ends between the overhanging arm 5 and the base 3, a pivot passing through said arm, lever and base whereby the lever is mounted for-freeswinging movement in a plane parallel to the face of the-doorto move through an arc of substantially ninety degrees, being limitedin its movements in either direction by the stop shoulders 6'. One end of the lever is formed with an off-set handle 8, spaced a distance from theffr'ont of the door that the lingers of the operator may be placed'between it'and the door. The opposite end of the lever, extending in the oppo site direction from the pivot, comprises an arm 9 which in the horizontal position of the lever passes beyond the free edge of 'the'door.

on which it 'is mounted. This is-for the purpose of engaging with a keeper" secured to the adjacent part of. the door casing;

A lug 10 is cast integrally with'the base 3 and extends outwardly therefrom through which a rod 11 is slidably mounted. At one audit is, equipped with a head 12 against a side of which the lever 7 engages when swungto vertical position. The oppositeend of the rod 11 is equipped with a second head. 13, having an angular in1ier"side-l4,,as shown. The rod 11, as it'p'asses thr'oughthe luglO, may slide freely within the'limits prescribed by the heads 12 and'l coming against opposite sides of the lug, and an suitable. means may be used to hold the rod rom rotation.

The keeper includes a base l5'from which a post 16 extends outwardly fora distance, terminating in a head '17 of the formshown, depending below the" outer end ofthe post. The head at its lower surface or edge 18 and at its inner side is formed with an upwardly ill) and inwardly inclined edge 19, whereby are f taining hook is providedba'ck offwhi'ch the arm 9 of the lever is received to hold the door in Closed position. The upward and inward inclination of the edge 19 causes the door to wedge tightly shut when arm 9 of the lever engages therewith. v

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the outer edge of the post 16 at its inner side is formed with a downward and inward incline 20. As an equivalent thereof and-to serve the same purpose in theform shown in Fig. 6, said post 16 near its, outer end is provided with a laterally extend ng lug 21 which hasa downwardly and inwardly inclined outer side corresponding in all respects to the inclined edge or side 20 pree viously'described. The only difference in the attachment is that the keeper in the construction shown in Fig. 6 is located tarther outtoward verticalposition.

ward fren the edge of the .door than it is in Figs, 1 to ,5 inclusive. v V

In either case when the door is in closed position and with the lever engaged with the keeper, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to open the deer the level handle is engaged and the lever '21 causes the rod 11'to move longitudinally,

whereupon the latch lever is. swung in a clockwise direction to bring the arm 9 back of the depending hook portion of the'keeper.

If the latch should be in horizontal position, as may occur through accident or otherwise, the latching of the door and the engagement of the lever with the keeper occurs when the door is swung shut, In such case the arm 9 strikes against the lower edge 18 of the head 17 with a resultant movement of the handle This movement continues until the arm passes by the lower point or nose of the head 17 or, as nsually occurs, until the lever strikes against the head 12 on red 11, whereupon the lever movement is reversedand the arm 9 brought under the depending hook portion of the keeper. In either case the latch lever engages with the keeper on closing the door irrespective of the vertical or horizontal position of the lever,

'in either ottwhich positions it may be.

The construction described is simple, practical, and efficient, and is economical to manufacture by reason'of the few and s mple parts used, which are easily fabricated and .assem bled.

The invention is definedin the appended cla1ms and is to be considered comprehens ve of all forms of structure comingwithin their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination, a door, a door casing therefor, a keeper attached to the door casing, a latch lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the door having one end formed into a keeper engaging arm and the other into a handle, saidlever being swingable in a plane 7 to a horizontal position and direction keper depending on which type of keeper is parallel to the face of the door from a vertical vice versa, a guide lug extending outwardly from the door, a rod. slidably mounted through said lug and lever engages when it is swung to vertical position a I g to move said rod longitudinally, a s cond head at the opposite end of the rod ha r; an inner cam side, said; keeper being prov ded with a cooperating cam portion age which the cam side of said second head engage. when the door is closed to thereby move the 1. Cl ion gitudinallyin the opposite y from which it is moved when the lever is turned tovertical position. 2. In combination, a door, a'casing there for, a keeper attached to the door casing, a base attached to the-door, a post extending outwardly from the b se, a, laterally extending arm at the upper end of the post, substantially parallel to the base, a lever located behaving a head at one end against which the a tween said base and arm and pivotally -mounted thereon at a point between its ends, one end of the lever at one side of. thepivot comprising a keeper engaging arm and the opposite end thereofbeing termed into a handle, a lug projecting outwardly from said base to one s de and. above the pivot of the latch. a horizontal rod slidably mounted through said lug against one end of which thelever en gages whenturned to vertical position, a header]. the opposite end of the rod having a cam inner side,said'keeper being provided with a cooperating cam portion for the can; inner side of said head to engage against when the door is moved to closed position to "*ically move said rod'longitudinally automat and thereby swing the level-to horizontal posi- 7 3; In combination, adoor, a casing therefor, a latch lever pivotally mounted between its on the door to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the-front oi the door, s op meanstor limiting the swing oi the latch lever between a vertical and a horizontal position, av horizontal rod'slidably mounted on the door adjacent the lree vertical edge tl I i lever pivot, against one end-oi which the lever engages when turned to verticalposition, a h ad on the opposite end of the red having a 'cam inner side, a keeper having a depending said rod longitudinally in a direction to swing the lever to horiZont-al position. v

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

BASIL n. CRAMPTON.

cot above and to one side of the latch 

